Expect Dodgers to ding Quentin, someday

San Diego Padres catcher Nick Hundley, left, restrains Los Angeles Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis during a brawl between the two teams that occurred when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke hit batter Carlos Quentin with a pitch in the sixth inning of baseball game in San Diego, Thursday, April 1

/ AP

San Diego Padres catcher Nick Hundley, left, restrains Los Angeles Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis during a brawl between the two teams that occurred when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke hit batter Carlos Quentin with a pitch in the sixth inning of baseball game in San Diego, Thursday, April 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

San Diego Padres catcher Nick Hundley, left, restrains Los Angeles Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis during a brawl between the two teams that occurred when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke hit batter Carlos Quentin with a pitch in the sixth inning of baseball game in San Diego, Thursday, April 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi) (/ AP)

Expect the Dodgers to retaliate against Carlos Quentin, and only Quentin, an American League executive told me on Sunday when asked how the “unwritten rules” may apply to last Thursday’s nasty scrap. “You don’t want to make it obvious,” he said, “but it’s going to happen. You go after Quentin. He’s the guy, and I’m sure he knows it.”

If there is to be payback, it’ll have to wait as Quentin will sit out the next three games at Dodger Stadium, per the eight-game suspension he began serving Sunday. The Dodgers and Padres will have 13 other games between them this year and also meet in spring training. Quentin’s contract with the Padres runs through 2015, giving the Dodgers plenty of time. And, yep, the when-am-I-going-to-get-plunked mystery is part of the retribution. “Oh yeah, it’s in his head that he could go down at any time,” the exec said.

The Dodgers reacted like they believed Quentin was entirely to blame for the fight that left pitcher Zack Greinke with a broken left collarbone. Matt Kemp, their center fielder, questioned Quentin’s baseball intelligence for charging the mound after being hit with a full-count pitch in a one-run game, and manager Don Mattingly said Quentin should be suspended for as long as Greinke is out.

“Dodgers Nation: The @Dodgers will not be intimidated by anyone,” tweeted Magic Jonson, who is the face of Dodgers ownership.

Quentin, for his part, noted that he’d been hit twice by Greinke in previous games and, despite being hit often, he'd never charged the mound. A few year ago, Greinke also sailed a pitch past Quentin’s head. According to Quentin, the pitcher has declined to explain why his radar is askew during their encounters.

After Quentin took a fastball in the left shoulder on Thursday, he initially took a few steps toward the mound. When Greinke yelled a word or two, Quentin then charged him.

A pitcher with another team told me last Friday that he believes Greinke meant to hit Quentin. The pitcher, after reviewing the replay a few more times, said he has "no doubt'' Greinke aimed at Quentin.

"I actually find it comical how naive the national media has been in assuming this was unintentional,” the pitcher said. The AL exec, meanwhile, said he doesn't believe Greinke was blameless.

Quentin has never said he shouldn’t have rammed into Greinke. Going a step further, he told our Chris Jenkins: "I do believe I did what I had to do. I had to protect myself."

He's delusional if that's his belief. I understand why Quentin was furious. But he did have the option of not charging into Greinke. To pick an example, he could've told him: "I will find you after the game and rip your arm off."

As the team's best healthy slugger, he's of no help to the Padres while sitting out eight games. With Jackie Robinson Day to be celebrated on Monday, perhaps it’s well that Quentin, signed last summer to a $27-million pact, has more time to ponder his responsibility of staying disciplined under duress.